Levitra And Diabetes

Diabetes and sexual function: the connection

Diabetes can affect men’s ability to engage sexually for several reasons because it causes:

1. Alterations in the metabolism of sugars and fats, with a tendency to progressive weight gain;
2. Increase in general inflammation of the body, greater with increasing weight: the more inflamed we are, the worse the control of diabetes, the sicker we are, the more sexual function is affected. And it gets worse we age. The reason? The fat cell is a great producer of substances that inflame the body, causing physical weakness, loss of vital energy and widespread muscle, joint, and abdominal pain;
3. The mood declines to a point of depression, the most powerful enemy of sexual desire and excitement. Inflammatory molecules also literally flood the brain and cause a progressive "neuro-inflammation", with lowering of mood, up to depression;
4. Lesions of the small blood vessels (diabetic microangiopathy), and of the small nerve endings (diabetic neuropathy). In humans, these cause difficulties in obtaining and maintaining an erection and reduce ejaculation and orgasm intensity.

Key point: the probability of diabetes affecting sexuality depends on the age of the disease, its duration, its severity, and the degree of glycemic control. On the positive side, early diagnosis and good control of diabetes are essential both to lengthen overall health expectancy and to protect and enhance sexuality.

Levitra properties making it the best ED drug for diabetes

The challenge of treating ED in men with diabetes is explained by the fact that erectile difficulty in this patient subcategory is caused by a variety of factors, each of them requiring a separate therapy plan. Therefore, men with diabetes do not always respond to PDE5 inhibitors, but this is where Levitra gives better results than other drugs from its class.

Among all the currently available oral ED drugs, which all belong to the class of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, Levitra has the most well-targeted action. In pharmacological terms, it is the most selective for the type of PDE (type 5) that plays a decisive role in the erectile process. This increases the biochemical availability of Levitra as an ED-treating drug in diabetic patients.

According to the results of a study funded by Bayer and carried out in 2001 (the abstract can be found in American Diabetes Association 61st Scientific Sessions), Levitra proved to be effective in men with diabetes type 2 in the doses 10mg and 20mg. The efficacy was dose-related (57% and 72% respectively), and the health results improved over 12 weeks of continuous use (Figure 1).

Fig. 1. Levitra efficacy in diabetic patients by baseline severity of ED

It can be concluded that Levitra is the best-adjusted drug for the use in diabetes for the treatment of ED related to the underlying disease. It is safe, gives minimal to no side effects, and produces better health outcomes than other drugs of the same class. We remind you that a doctor’s opinion is required for appointing Levitra and picking the correct dosage.